Q and A Introduction
These are the best answers available to the most common questions involving ghosts, ghost hunting and the paranormal. There are no absolute answers for any question in the ghost-hunting field. Ghost hunters do their best to find honest answers to extremely complex questions. A few answers can be controversial because different ghost hunters will arrive at opposing conclusions on the same topics. Healthy debate and discussions are essential to expanding the field of ghost-hunting knowledge.
Are ghosts real?
The majority of ghost and haunting cases do have a logical explanation. However, there are a percentage of cases that cannot be explained in scientific or rational terms. These cases defy sensible explanations and seem to point to the paranormal. There is enough circumstantial evidence to believe that ghosts, defined as returning souls of the deceased, are real. However, there is no concrete evidence to validate this theory.
Are ghosts good or evil?
Ghosts can be good or evil. Ghosts are souls of the deceased and like people, some are good and some are not. A ghost can be considered frightening. A common misconception is that ghosts have something to do with demons or the devil. Ghosts are not demonic. Ghosts haunt homes, but that does not mean that ghosts want to frighten everyone away from the home. It is also a common misconception to regard a mischievous ghost as an evil entity.
Are ghosts that appear grayish or black evil or threatening?
It is a common misconception that a ghost that manifests in gray or black form must be an evil spirit. This is not at all true. The color of the apparition has nothing to do with personality. Fear is the typical emotional response to seeing a ghost. This natural human feeling can confuse the situation and make the witness believe that the ghost is demonic. Personal and religious viewpoints also play into misinterpretations and false assumptions of evil ghosts.
Can animals return as ghosts?
There are reports of animals haunting homes and pet cemeteries. Usually, the animals are common household pets. Sometimes the animals were physically mistreated or tortured. In a large percentage of haunting cases, there are no visible ghost manifestations – meaning no one actually sees a ghost. Ghost hunters should consider that the ghost haunting the house may not be a human ghost but instead the ghost of an animal.
Am I in danger if my home is haunted?
It depends on the case. The large majority of ghosts will not be dangerous. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Some types of ghosts are malicious. Spontaneous fires, terrible nightmares and flying or falling objects are examples of malicious behavior. In some rare cases, the suspected ghost could actually turn out to be a poltergeist, which can cause harm.
Can a ghost follow me from place to place?
It is very rare, but in a few cases, it has happened. For the most part, however, ghosts are bound to a specific location and do not move away from that location. A poltergeist can and will follow people from place to place. If a haunted object is the source of the paranormal activity, any place that object travels, the ghostly activity will follow. The majority of cases where a ghost has followed a person home typically involve the removal of an item from the haunted location. There are other exceptions like family apparitions, which are ghosts that are tied to a specific family.
Can objects become haunted?
It does appear so. Many people confuse haunted with possessed. A house is a big object. There is nothing that limits ghosts from haunting objects or locations. Ghosts usually haunt objects that they owned, created or had a strong emotional tie with in their previous life. Other objects seem cursed, corrupted or tied to another type of supernatural energy.
Do ghosts communicate with the living?
Ghosts can communicate with the living but that does not mean that a ghost will communicate. There are ghosts that do not want to communicate or are unable to communicate. Other ghosts frequently attempt to communicate with the living. The communication might be with a voice. It could be through banging sounds or moving objects. Ghostly communication can also be done through writing, expressions, thoughts and dreams. Ghosts that want to communicate will do just about anything to get noticed.
Are ghost sightings more common at nighttime?
There is no evidence that a certain time of day is more frequent for ghost sightings. Ghosts can manifest throughout the day or night. One ghost may only appear at one time of the day while another ghost will randomly appear at different times. The manifestations can depend on the circumstances that surround the origins of the ghost. Ghost hunters sometimes forget this rule and get caught up searching for a ghost late at night. Searching for a ghost at midnight will not do much good if that ghost only manifests in the afternoon.
What should I do if I see a ghost?
Examine the ghost in detail. Try to keep mental notes on what is happening. Try to communicate with the ghost. Seeing a ghost is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so take advantage of the experience. Immediately after the sighting ends, write down everything about the experience in detail.
Why do ghosts wear clothes?
Traditional ghosts manifest in clothing from their own time period. No one really knows why, but some theories maintain that the ghosts feel more comfortable in those clothes or that the clothes themselves are somehow directly connected to the haunting. For example, ghosts of dead soldiers are seen wearing their military uniforms Ñ even bloody military uniforms. Phantom monks appear in their robes. These clothes are what those ghosts wore in their lifetime.
If parapsychology subjects like ESP are true, then why are people not winning big at casinos?
This is a good question because some people do claim to win money using their psychic abilities. The problem is that it takes tremendous practice and concentration because casino environments are deliberately set up to confuse and disorient gamblers. Casinos use bright lights, loud noises and flashing signs to divert gamblersÕ attention. The environment of a casino makes it hard for players to clear their minds and stay focused. Casinos create an environment that has been shown to produce poor psychic results in laboratory settings.
Is the invisible friend of my child a ghost?
It is unlikely that a childÕs invisible friend is a ghost. Children have incredible imaginations that create elaborate invisible friends. The creation of imaginary friends is part of a normal and healthy developmental stage in children. Parents often do not understand this process and become worried that their child’s invisible friend is something sinister in disguise. Allow the child room to grow and develop but watch for violent or troubling warning signs.
Can the existence of ghosts be scientifically proven?
At this time there is an endless supply of circumstantial evidence but there is no scientific or psychical evidence for the existence of ghosts. In order to prove that ghosts exist beyond reasonable doubt, someone must create a device that can capture a ghost for study.
Can a person have an abnormal electromagnetic field making them more susceptible to paranormal events?
Everything has an electromagnetic field, but some individuals do have abnormal electromagnetic fields and experience more paranormal activity. There are people who cannot pass through retail store security systems without setting off an alarm. There are not many theories as to why some individuals have these abnormal electromagnetic fields.
Can a murdered person’s ghost haunt their killer?
That is a hard question to answer. It is difficult to get law-abiding citizens to talk about a haunting. It is even more difficult to get a criminal to confess to a murder and a haunting. There is not enough information to give a valid yes or no answer but there are a few known stories of ghosts coming back from the grave to torment their murderers. In many cases involving a murder, the ghost will haunt the location of the murder and not the killer.
Can ghosts attack people?
Most ghosts are harmless and seem completely unaware of the presence of the living. However, in rare cases, violent ghosts have been reported. These reports involve individuals who have been scratched, slapped, pushed, etc. When many of these attacks are studied, it becomes clear that the attacks are not done by a ghost, but instead perpetrated by a poltergeist or another supernatural entity.
Is there a Bogeyman?
The Bogeyman is from British folklore and is synonymous with evil spirits and monsters. The Bogeyman is described as a creature that scares sleeping children. There is not a monster called the Bogeyman that hides underneath beds to scare little children at night, but there are evil spirits. Ghosts and evil spirits can perform the same purpose as the Bogeyman. So maybe in a roundabout way, there is a Bogeyman.
Is it okay to use Ouija boards, magic spells or seances while ghost hunting?
Use whatever tool you wish, but remember that none of the above are considered acceptable scientific tools. The validity of the methods involved in using each of these devices is questionable. There is no evidence that Ouija boards, magic or seances can produce consistent and accurate results.
Where can I get a parapsychology degree? Can I get one off the Internet?
A degree in the field of Parapsychology requires attending a graduate school. To get into the top schools to study parapsychology, a student must first have a Masters Degree in a science-related field, (Math, Statistics, Social or Behavioral Sciences, Law, etc.). A real Parapsychology degree cannot be obtained from an Internet website that is not affiliated with an accredited university even if that website is run by a licensed parapsychologist. The Parapsychological Association is an elected affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Can a murdered person’s ghost haunt their killer?
That is a hard question to answer. It is difficult to get law-abiding citizens to talk about a haunting. It is even more difficult to get a criminal to confess to a murder and a haunting. There is not enough information to give a valid yes or no answer but there are a few known stories of ghosts coming back from the grave to torment their murderers. In many cases involving a murder, the ghost will haunt the location of the murder and not the killer.
There was a double murder in my house years ago. I feel those murder victims are now haunting the house. Will the ghosts try to hurt someone in my family?
Some ghosts haunt the scene of their death but these ghosts almost never commit violent activity. These ghosts were the victims of a senseless crime and they are still suffering. You should never let your guard down around any ghost but these ghosts most like will not become hostile.
The spare bedroom in my house is haunted. Anyone who sleeps in the room has terrible nightmares of a woman being strangled. Should we be afraid?
It is a possibility that the people who sleep in this room are experiencing a recurring dream of a real event that took place inside the bedroom. It is believed that ghosts can influence dreams. The dreams could be caused by leftover psychic energy or from a ghost interfering with normal dreams. The ghost could be the woman who is being strangled in the dream. The dream might be a message to the living. Search for clues to determine if a murder occurred in the house. The ghost might be trying to reach out and show the living how she was murdered or who murdered her.
I noticed bizarre lights appearing on video recordings of family events. I bought a new digital video camera but I am still recording the odd lights and strange shadows that are not visible at the time. The recordings also have unidentifiable voices in the background. Are these ghosts?
These are good signs of paranormal activity. Investigators interpret strange lights and abnormal phenomena as signs of a ghost. Continue to record and take photographs. Try to record paranormal activity when no one else is around by leaving the video camera on in empty rooms. Attempt to decipher the strange voices. It is possible that the ghosts have gone undetected except for the accidental recordings. Gather more evidence before making a conclusion.
I think my house is haunted, but I have not seen a ghost. How can I tell?
Seeing a ghost in apparition form is extremely rare. Most haunted houses exhibit the classic haunting characteristics without ever having apparition manifestations. Use simple ghost-hunting techniques and investigate. Keep a journal of events that seem to be related to the haunting. Eliminate logical and natural possibilities. The appearance of an apparition is not needed to declare a house haunted.
My husband and I live in a haunted house. We have both experienced the ghost including seeing furniture move and still my husband refuses to believe in ghosts. What can I do to convince him that ghosts exist?
If your husband has seen furniture move and experienced other paranormal activity and still does not believe in ghosts, then there is little that can be done to persuade him. It is more comfortable for some people not to believe in ghosts. Believing in ghosts shakes the foundations of reality. There are many people who have come face-to-face with real ghosts only to talk themselves out of the experience by explaining away the sighting as a stress-induced hallucination.
Can children see ghosts better than adults?
There is no evidence that suggests children can see ghosts easier than adults. This is a misconception originating from the belief that a child’s innocence gives them paranormal abilities. Children do seem more likely to communicate with ghosts because children do not fully understand the differences between life and death.
The previous owner of my home committed suicide. I constantly have dreams where I commit suicide. Is a ghost causing these dreams?
It is possible that a ghost is influencing your dreams. However, it is also possible the bad dreams are purely a psychological factor of living in a house where a suicide occurred. Do other people have this dream? If so, do these people know about the suicide? If you are the only person having the dreams, it is probably psychological. Try sleeping in different rooms throughout the house and changing sleep habits. Seek out professional help if the feelings of suicide become anything more than a dream.
I believe that my house is haunted. My dog will unexplainably jump up and growl or slink out of the room. Can my dog sense the presence of ghosts?
Animals can detect the presence of ghosts. Dogs will growl, bark and attack at unseen forces. It has been documented that animals can detect and react to small changes in the natural environment. Animals know when earthquakes, thunderstorms and natural disasters are about to occur because animals can feel changes in the earth’s electromagnetic fields. Animals use these same abilities to feel the presence of ghosts. The environment changes when ghosts are present. Household pets will feel and react to these changes.
I am positive my house is haunted but my family is deeply religious. They do not believe in ghosts but they do believe in demons. Several church-approved groups have come to my house to get rid of the ghost but all attempts to release the spirits have failed. Now the church and my family are blaming me for this ghost by saying that my sins have invited this demon into the house and I am the reason it will not leave. Is this true?
None of it is true. The attempts to get rid of the ghost failed because almost nothing can remove a ghost. Overzealous religious beliefs cloud rational judgments. Your family is basing itsÕ belief on ghosts from incorrect assumptions and faulty religious beliefs. When banishing rituals fail to produce results, the next thing to do is lay blame on someone else. It is a shame that a family would choose to condemn one of their own instead of admitting that there are events happening in the house that their religion cannot explain.
Are ghosts more active during full moons?
There are theories that suggest that the moon’s electromagnetic field influences paranormal phenomena. Both the sun and moon have influence on our planet. Lunar gravity controls ocean tides. Studies on animals show that physical activity, metabolism, aggression and sexual behavior are dramatically increased in many species during the new and full moon cycles. It is believed that these forces also fuel paranormal activity. Ghosts are believed to increase manifestations during a full moon and when solar flares from the sun are hitting the earth.
Is there a right or wrong way to ghost hunt?
This is a great question. The answer will vary greatly depending on who answers it. Ghost hunting is a personal experience with personal goals. Ghost hunters are looking for their own answers in their own ways. Ghost-hunting methods only become right or wrong when a ghost hunter claims to be a specific type of ghost hunter (i.e., scientific ghost hunter) and then uses methods that go against the nature of that type such as not following the scientific method.